One backer ordered to pay for unlawfully taking 200,000 gallons of fuel
President Donald Trump and his White House have enthusiastically promoted the Freedom Fuel Network, a chain of star-spangled convenience stores selling gasoline at $3.47 per gallon in honor of the 47th president. Records show the venture is run by a disparate collection of businessmen that includes an NFL kicking coach, a GOP fundraiser, and a New Jersey entrepreneur who this year was ordered, along with his brother, to pay civil damages for unlawfully taking more than 200,000 gallons of fuel.
The chain, which launched last month in the Philadelphia area, drew Trump’s attention as consumers grappled with higher oil prices sparked by the war with Iran, according to the Associated Press. The four businessmen declined to comment or could not be reached, and how the stations got the president’s attention remains a mystery.
Trump celebrated the network’s gas prices on his Truth Social platform on July 1, writing: “I am pleased to announce that a VERY smart Retailer, located throughout the Northeast, is stepping up. America has never been stronger than it is now, and Gas Prices will soon be back to the Record Low Prices Americans enjoyed at the pump before our very successful ‘excursion’ in Iran.”
The $3.47 per gallon price is a nod to Trump as the 47th president. The promotion came just before the July Fourth travel period, when many Americans were hitting the road.